The wrath of the imminent transformation could hit the team's weakest and the understated cogs first after the painstaking loss at The Oval.
Brutally exposing defeat in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) at The Oval may have signalled the end for multiple faltering cogs part of the wheel for the current Indian set-up.
As truthful, honest and dignified Rahul Dravid stood in explaining the cause for the loss, pointing out the flaws and inconsistency with the ball and the worsening of global batting conditions as the bone of contention for his declining set of batters, the head coach would know the issues run deeper as well and the time to enter the imminent transition phase is here.
As always, the transformation would first hit the weakest and the most vulnerable before impacting the big and the esteemed names. It’s how the culture is set. With a month to go for the next Test assignment in the Caribbean, it would be unpragmatic to expect instant major changes. But there are tweaks in the waiting, which maybe the closure for few understated contributors and misfits.
There are three on whom the axe could come the soonest, with the winding down of proceedings at The Oval perhaps fastening their departure from the scene in the game’s toughest format. Three cricketers who were part of the defeat in London and might not be seen again in the Indian Test match whites.
KS Bharat
As harsh as it may sound on what comes across as an earnest, composed and determined individual, KS Bharat’s skill bank is comfortably outstocked by those attributes and he isn’t made for Test cricket. Being part of the set-up for long as backup to the magnificent Rishabh Pant, the incumbent’s horrific accident hasn’t been a blessing in disguise for Bharat, whose weakfootedness, in front and behind the stumps, has only stood exposed over the last five Tests.
From the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy through to the end of the WTC final, Bharat has, yes, encountered stiff batting conditions against an opposition that commands depth and quality of resolve, but also not offered markers or promise of ultimate recovery, vindictiveness and triumph at the international stage.
An underconfident and anxious outlook, symbolised by his brittle keeping technique and base, with the tendency to pouch at the ball more than receive it astutely, aside, one can see Bharat isn’t able to establish an assuring presence against fast-bowling with the bat. Why, his feet moved comfortably the moment he faced Nathan Lyon on the final day but turned into shaky strings against the quality of seam bowling from Boland and Cummins.
The Indian team might be obliged to take Bharat to the West Indies in Pant’s absence, just to be fair and sure before they make the ultimate call. But with a Test series in South Africa next January staring hard at their faces, the Dravid-led management and the selectors may also feel encouraged to look elsewhere for the next two Tests.
Umesh Yadav
The spell delivered as the first-change pacer on Day 1 of the WTC final only summed up Umesh Yadav’s largely unfulfilled Test career for India. When Australia fought hard for survival in the morning session to be reduced to 76/3, the breathing space and recovery they aspired was almost thrown to their feet by Umesh’s uninspiring, inconsistent and expensive first spell.
Umesh did comeback to exercise greater control in the middle but by then the train had left and the contest was lost. The recent injury and lack of game time may have plagued the determined Indian seamer, but figures of 0/77 & 2/54 only amplified a recurring theme to his decade-long tenure.
Control and consistency have always been concepts alien to Umesh Yadav’s world. Why, the seamer has held a sporadic and misfitted presence to the team’s overseas plans, where run-making is at a premium and bowling errors from an enforcer could hurt the fortunes deeper. Umesh now has a SENA average of 41.41 and an economy rate of 4.04 across 28 innings and 15 Tests. Even post 2017, where his ascent into a sharper, more slingy and unorthodox swing bowler has bolstered the pacer’s home record, the away average in the four-lettered acronym has remained a pedestrian 38.38 with a costly 3.42 runs an over conceded.
Over time, Umesh’s athletic physique has also worn out as he has endured a yard loss of pace, which was evident everytime he ran during the WTC final. It is the difference between the one fizzling past the outside edge or giving the batter two fractions of a second extra to judge and impose himself on the ball. In retrospect, the loss of pace and venom maybe the reason why Umesh has lost his spot even in home Tests to Mohammed Siraj. This could be it for him, then, aged 35 with a career average of 31 from 57 Tests.
Shardul Thakur
A steadfast, resolute and extremely confident individual, Shardul Thakur has the ability to win you over on vibes as a cricket fan. When the Mumbaikar slaps Mitchell Starc with the most brutal four through covers or plays an off-drive that would warm the hearts of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar on his way to a half-century, it elevates his image and perception as a cricketer, someone who continues to belies his limitations and keeps the world’s finest spinner and No.8 out of an overseas playing XI.
Thakur’s limitations, however, does impact India’s fortunes more on the negative than bolstering their arsenal with skill and true relevant values. The relevancy and impact. Both words are key to the on-field play, which is determined through consistency of execution. The feels and vibes Thakur inspires within the heartly presence of an irrational and emotionally invested Indian fan isn’t the most effective currency of the playing action. It is his erratic nature with the ball and frenetic disposition as a right-hand bat.
The former couldn’t have been more evident in this WTC final. Raved over as a “golden arm”, with the monicker of “lord” echoed all over the social world, everytime he gives India a breakthrough, Thakur sprayed the ball around a decisive 3.60 an over across five spells in the critical first-innings. No Thakur fan would hit the roof top and shout “golden arm” when he would be taken for runs on both sides of the wicket. We seldom acknowledge the very reason why we have given him the tag: because we don’t actually expect his flimsy and discrepant self to take the breakthrough in the first place.
Besides, as much as these wickets fuel the bowler’s average, his expensive ways and a woeful economy rate of 3.54 in the pace-pandemic times make him the most ill-suited fourth seamer of all the fourth-seamers doing the rounds in our sport. The fourth seamer is supposed to tighten the screws on one end, restrained the scoring and allow the main star cast to take important breathers between spells. Thakur does little of those things with the ball and wears on other bowlers by releasing the pressure.
It is similar to the crux of his batting: more razzmatazz and a sense of excitement than any truthful sense of defensive acumen and long-term dependability and vibrancy at the crease. Why, despite his tryst with adventure at the Gabba, The Oval and then The Oval again, he has a batting average of 20.33 over 9 Tests and 16 innings with an average worth of just above 5 overs batted in the middle, which could be the cause for the specialist at the other end approaching the risky route earlier than ideal.
